Cognex Reports Third Quarter 2026 Results

PR Newswire

NATICK, Mass., Nov. 4, 2026

NATICK, Mass., Nov. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Cognex Corporation (NASDAQ: CGNX), the global technology leader in industrial machine vision, today reported financial results for the third quarter ended October 4, 2026.

Cognex

Third-Quarter Financial and Operating Highlights

"Our third-quarter results reflect strong execution across the business, with record revenue, broad-based growth across most of our major end markets, and continued progress against our strategic objectives," said Matt Moschner, President and CEO. "We believe we are strengthening our leadership in AI-powered machine vision through innovation, expanding our long-term growth opportunity through the announced acquisition of RealSense, and continuing to help position Cognex to benefit from what we see as powerful trends in automation, robotics, and artificial intelligence."

Dennis Fehr, CFO, added, "We believe Q3 was another strong proof point for our profitable growth strategy. Record revenue, significant margin expansion, and Adjusted EBITDA flow-through above 100% demonstrate the progress we have made transforming our operating model. Our strong balance sheet and disciplined capital allocation strategy enabled us to pursue the RealSense acquisition, while retaining flexibility to invest in both organic and inorganic growth opportunities with the potential to create further value for shareholders."

Financial Performance Highlights for the Third Quarter

(Dollars in millions, except per share amounts)



Three-months ended






October 04,

2026


September

28, 2025

as Reported 


September

28, 2025

ex CP


Y/Y

Change as

Reported


Y/Y

Change 

ex CP

Revenue

$313


$277


$264


+13 %


+19 %

Operating Income

$101


$58


$47


+74 %


+115 %

% of Revenue

32.2 %


20.9 %


17.9 %


+1,130 bps


+1,430 bps

Adjusted EBITDA1

$111


$69


$58


61 %


+91 %

% of Revenue

35.5 %


24.9 %


22.1 %


+1,060 bps


+1,340 bps

Net Income per Diluted Share

$0.50


$0.10


$0.06


+400 %


+733 %

Adjusted EPS (Diluted)1

$0.53


$0.33


$0.28


+61 %


+89 %

1Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EPS (Diluted) include non-GAAP adjustments. A reconciliation from GAAP to non-GAAP metrics is provided in this news release.

Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Highlights

Dividend

On November 4, 2026, Cognex's Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.09 per share, representing an increase of $0.005 per share, or approximately 6%, over the $0.085 per share dividend paid in the prior quarter. The dividend is payable on December 3, 2026, to all shareholders of record at the close of business on November 19, 2026.

Guidance

Cognex issued fourth-quarter guidance and increased full-year 2026 guidance; details are summarized in the tables below.

Table 1: Fourth-Quarter 2026 Guidance

(Dollars in millions, except per
share amounts)

Q4 2026 Guidance


Q4 2025 Results


Y/Y Change*

Revenue

$270 - $290


$252


+11 %







Adj. EBITDA Margin1                                                                                

29% - 32%


22.7 %


+780 bps







Adj. EPS (diluted)1

$0.37 - $0.41


$0.27


+44 %

Table 2: Full-Year 2026 Guidance

(Dollars in millions, except per

share amounts)

New 2026

Guidance

Prior 2026

Guidance


2025

Results

2025

Results 
ex CP


Y/Y

Change*

Y/Y Change*
ex CP

Revenue

$1,143 - $1,163

$1,130 - $1,150


$994

$982


+16 %

+17 %










Adj. EBITDA Margin1                           

31% - 32%

29% - 31%


21.5 %

20.7 %


+1,000 bps

+1,080 bps










Adj. EPS (diluted)1

$1.68 - $1.72

$1.64 - $1.68


$1.02

$0.97


+67 %

+75 %

* At the midpoint of guidance.

1Cognex has provided the forward-looking non-GAAP measures of adjusted EBITDA margin and adjusted earnings per share

 (diluted), but cannot, without unreasonable effort, forecast such items to present or provide a reconciliation to corresponding

forecasted GAAP measures. These include special items such as reorganization charges, acquisition and integration charges,

and amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets, all of which are subject to limitations in predictability of timing,

ultimate outcome and numerous conditions outside of Cognex's control. Additionally, these items are outside of Cognex's

normal business operations and not used by management to assess Cognex's operating results. Cognex believes these

limitations would result in a range of projected values so broad as to not be meaningful to investors. For these reasons, 

Cognex believes that the probable significance of such information is low. Information with respect to special items for certain

historical periods is included in the section entitled "Reconciliation of Selected Items From GAAP to Non-GAAP". In Q4 2025,

the GAAP operating margin was 14.0% and GAAP earnings per share (diluted) were $0.19, and in full-year 2025, the GAAP

operating margin was 16.3% and GAAP earnings per share (diluted) were $0.68.

Analyst Conference Call and Simultaneous Webcast

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements made in this release, as well as oral statements made by Cognex Corporation ("Cognex", "we", "us", "our", or the "Company") from time to time, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Readers can identify these forward-looking statements by our use of the words "expects," "anticipates," "estimates," "potential," "believes," "projects," "intends," "plans," "aims," "will," "may," "shall," "could," "should," "opportunity," "goal," "objective," "target," "milestone" and similar words and other statements of a similar sense. These statements are based on our current estimates and expectations as to prospective events and circumstances, which may or may not be in our control and as to which there can be no firm assurances given. These forward-looking statements, which include statements regarding business and market trends, future financial performance, financial targets, milestones and related timing expectations, the closing, timing, integration, and expected results from acquired businesses, including RealSense, Inc. ("RealSense"), the impact of tariffs, customer demand and order rates and timing of related revenue, future product or revenue mix, research and development activities, sales and marketing activities including our salesforce transformation, new product offerings, innovation and product development activities, customer acceptance of our products, commercial partnerships, capital expenditures, cost management activities including expected annualized operating expense reductions, investments, liquidity, dividends and stock repurchases, strategic and growth plans and opportunities, financial and operating models, and estimated tax benefits and expenses, changes in tax legislation, and other tax matters, involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Such risks and uncertainties include: (1) the technological obsolescence of current products, the inability to develop new products, and the inability to achieve growth through expanding and adjacent markets; (2) the impact of competitive pressures; (3) the inability to attract and retain skilled employees and effectively plan for succession, while maintaining our unique corporate culture; (4) the failure to properly manage the timely manufacturing and distribution of high-quality products and services; (5) economic, political, and other risks associated with international sales and operations, including the impact of trade disputes, the imposition of tariffs, the economic climate in China, and the wars and conflicts involving Iran, Ukraine, and Israel and those that may arise in the future in the geographies where we conduct business; (6) challenges in closing, integrating, and achieving expected results from acquired businesses, including RealSense, as well as exposure to potential liabilities and increased costs from acquired businesses; (7) uncertainty surrounding our future capital needs; (8) the inability to effectively scale our operations and salesforce to support a significantly expanded and diverse customer base in an increasing number of geographies; (9) information security breaches and other cybersecurity threats, including through the emergence of agentic AI; (10) the failure to comply with laws or regulations relating to data privacy, data protection, artificial intelligence, or other automated technologies; (11) the inability to protect our proprietary technology and data, as well as our intellectual property; (12) the inability to manage direct and indirect disruptions to our supply chain, which could cause delays in obtaining components for our products at reasonable prices, including memory chips; (13) the loss of, or curtailment of purchases by, large customers in the logistics, consumer electronics, or automotive end markets; (14) challenges in accurately forecasting our financial results due to seasonal and cyclical variations in customer purchasing patterns and economic and market volatility; (15) potential impairment charges with respect to our investments or acquired intangible assets; (16) exposure to additional tax liabilities, increases and fluctuations in our effective tax rate, and other tax matters; (17) fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and the use of derivative instruments; (18) unfavorable global economic conditions, including, without limitation, increases in interest rates, elevated inflation rates, and recession risks; (19) business disruptions from natural or man-made disasters, public health crises, or other events outside our control; (20) stock price volatility; (21) our involvement in time-consuming and costly litigation or activist shareholder activities; and (22) the failure to effectively transform our operating model, manage our expenses, and achieve expected cost reductions. The foregoing list should not be construed as exhaustive and we encourage readers to refer to the detailed discussion of risk factors included in Part I - Item 1A of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 (the "Annual Report"), as updated by Part II - Item 1A of our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q as filed with the SEC. The Company cautions readers not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. The Company disclaims any obligation to subsequently revise forward-looking statements to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances after the date such statements are made.

COGNEX CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(in thousands, except per share amounts)


October 4, 2026


December 31, 2025


(unaudited)



ASSETS




Current assets:




Cash and cash equivalents

$       694,695


$            262,925

Current investments

997


74,037

Accounts receivable, net of allowance for credit losses of $781 and $728 in 2026 and

2025, respectively

216,720


146,713

Unbilled revenue

12,763


16,980

Inventories

158,453


137,889

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

68,206


58,702

Total current assets

1,151,834


697,246

Non-current investments

150,292


305,339

Property, plant, and equipment, net

79,720


86,015

Operating lease assets

66,153


72,310

Goodwill

386,105


386,279

Intangible assets, net

63,295


81,100

Deferred income taxes

374,517


383,272

Other assets

4,551


4,994

Total assets

$    2,276,467


$          2,016,555





LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY




Current liabilities:




Accounts payable

$        74,708


$              50,203

Accrued expenses

88,618


91,397

Accrued income taxes

10,627


9,141

Deferred revenue and customer deposits

42,450


21,094

Operating lease liabilities

12,314


11,716

Total current liabilities

228,717


183,551

Non-current operating lease liabilities

58,048


64,870

Deferred income taxes

243,132


250,512

Reserve for income taxes

23,000


24,269

Other liabilities

2,080


1,452

Total liabilities

554,977


524,654









Shareholders' equity:




Preferred stock, $.01 par value – Authorized: 400 shares in 2026 and 2025,

respectively; no shares issued and outstanding

—


—

Common stock, $.002 par value – Authorized: 300,000 shares in 2026 and 2025,

respectively; issued and outstanding: 168,372 and 166,997 shares in 2026 and 2025,

respectively

337


334

Additional paid-in capital

1,310,477


1,138,708

Retained earnings

467,646


406,355

Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax

(56,970)


(53,496)

Total shareholders' equity

1,721,490


1,491,901

Total liabilities and shareholders' equity

$    2,276,467


$          2,016,555

 

COGNEX CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS

(Unaudited)

 (In thousands, except per share amounts)



Three-months Ended


Nine-months Ended


October

4, 2026


September

28, 2025


October

4, 2026


September

28, 2025









Revenue

$       313,387


$       276,892


$   873,087


$   742,021

Cost of revenue (1)

91,644


89,602


254,632


242,532

Gross profit

221,743


187,290


618,455


499,489

Percentage of revenue

70.8 %


67.6 %


70.8 %


67.3 %

Research, development, and engineering expenses (1)

33,897


35,081


103,313


102,910

Percentage of revenue

10.8 %


12.7 %


11.8 %


13.9 %

Selling, general, and administrative expenses (1)

87,024


94,444


268,930


269,289

Percentage of revenue

27.8 %


34.1 %


30.8 %


36.3 %

Operating income

100,822


57,765


246,212


127,290

Percentage of revenue

32.2 %


20.9 %


28.2 %


17.2 %

Foreign currency gain (loss)

(744)


840


(2,951)


(3,116)

Investment income

3,358


4,197


13,285


12,227

Other income (expense)

(146)


61


(2,199)


2,322

Income before income tax expense

103,290


62,863


254,347


138,723

Income tax expense

18,470


45,199


45,067


56,945

Net income

$         84,820


$         17,664


$   209,280


$     81,778

Percentage of revenue

27.1 %


6.4 %


24.0 %


11.0 %









Net income per weighted-average common and common-

equivalent share:








Basic

$            0.50


$            0.11


$       1.25


$       0.49

Diluted

$            0.50


$            0.10


$       1.23


$       0.48









Weighted-average common and common-equivalent

shares outstanding:








Basic

168,309


167,840


167,377


168,324

Diluted

171,027


169,323


169,860


169,507









Cash dividends per common share

$          0.085


$          0.080


$      0.255


$      0.240

























(1) Amounts include stock-based compensation expense, as follows:

Cost of revenue

$            592


$            489


$      2,109


$      1,694

Research, development, and engineering

3,491


3,794


11,973


11,933

Selling, general, and administrative

7,063


8,133


20,209


21,022

Total stock-based compensation expense

$         11,146


$         12,416


$    34,291


$     34,649

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release includes certain non-GAAP financial measures, including adjusted gross profit and margin, adjusted operating expense, adjusted operating income and margin, adjusted EBITDA and margin, adjusted net income, adjusted earnings per share of common stock, diluted, adjusted effective tax rate, and free cash flow and free cash flow conversion rate. Cognex defines its non-GAAP metrics as follows:

Cognex may disclose results on a constant-currency basis as one measure to evaluate its performance and compare results between periods as if the exchange rates had remained constant period-over-period.

Cognex believes these non-GAAP financial measures are helpful because they allow investors to more accurately compare results over multiple periods using the same methodology that management employs in its budgeting process, in its review of operating results, and for forecasting and planning for future periods. Cognex's definitions may differ from the definitions used by other companies and therefore comparability may be limited. In addition, other companies may not publish these or similar metrics. Furthermore, these measures have certain limitations in that they do not include the impact of certain non-recurring expenses that are reflected in our consolidated statement of operations that are necessary to run our business. Thus, our non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to, not as substitutes for, or in isolation from, measures prepared in accordance with GAAP.

Please see the section "Reconciliation of Selected Items from GAAP to Non-GAAP" below for more detailed information regarding non-GAAP financial measures herein, including the items reflected in our adjusted financial metrics and a description of these adjustments.

COGNEX CORPORATION

RECONCILIATION OF SELECTED ITEMS FROM GAAP TO NON-GAAP

Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts

(Unaudited)




Three-months Ended


Nine-months Ended




October 4,

2026


September 28,

2025


October 4,

2026


September 28,

2025












Gross profit (GAAP)


$    221,743


$    187,290


$    618,455


$    499,489


Acquisition and integration costs


219


213


653


666


Amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets


1,317


1,379


3,977


4,099


Reorganization charges


274


400


1,569


486


Adjusted gross profit


$    223,553


$    189,282


$    624,654


$    504,740


GAAP gross margin


70.8 %


67.6 %


70.8 %


67.3 %


Adjusted gross margin


71.3 %


68.4 %


71.5 %


68.0 %












Operating expense (GAAP)


$    120,921


$    129,525


$    372,243


$    372,199


Acquisition and integration costs


(2,553)


(180)


(2,583)


(977)


Amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets


(954)


(1,260)


(3,121)


(3,846)


Reorganization charges


(951)


(2,966)


(6,041)


(4,588)


Adjusted operating expense


$    116,463


$    125,119


$    360,498


$    362,788












Operating income (GAAP)


$    100,822


$     57,765


$    246,212


$    127,290


Acquisition and integration costs


2,772


393


3,236


1,643


Amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets


2,271


2,639


7,098


7,945


Reorganization charges


1,225


3,366


7,610


5,074


Adjusted operating income


$    107,090


$     64,163


$    264,156


$    141,952


GAAP operating margin


32.2 %


20.9 %


28.2 %


17.2 %


Adjusted operating margin


34.2 %


23.2 %


30.3 %


19.1 %


Depreciation (adjusted for amounts included in Acquisition and

integration costs)


4,309


4,666


13,139


14,844


Adjusted EBITDA


$    111,399


$     68,829


$    277,295


$    156,796


Adjusted EBITDA margin


35.5 %


24.9 %


31.8 %


21.1 %












Net income (GAAP)


$     84,820


$     17,664


$    209,280


$      81,778


Acquisition and integration costs


2,772


393


3,236


1,643


Amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets


2,271


2,639


7,098


7,945


Reorganization charges


1,225


3,366


7,610


5,074


Loss on sale of business


—


—


1,539


—


Losses on sale of investments to fund acquisition


2,407


—


2,407


—


Discrete tax (benefit) expense


(1,454)


33,650


(2,183)


33,132


Tax impact of reconciling items


(2,242)


(1,615)


(5,982)


(3,871)


Adjusted net income


$      89,799


$     56,097


$    223,005


$    125,701












Earnings per share of common stock, diluted (GAAP)


$        0.50


$        0.10


$        1.23


$        0.48


Acquisition and integration costs


0.02


0.00


0.02


0.01


Amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets


0.01


0.02


0.04


0.05


Reorganization charges


0.01


0.02


0.04


0.03


Loss on sale of business


—


—


0.01


—


Losses on sale of investments to fund acquisition


0.01


—


0.01


—


Discrete tax (benefit) expense


(0.01)


0.20


(0.01)


0.20


Tax impact of reconciling items


(0.01)


(0.01)


(0.04)


(0.02)


Adjusted earnings per share of common stock, diluted


$        0.53


$        0.33


$        1.31


$        0.74












Effective tax rate (GAAP)


17.9 %


71.9 %


17.7 %


41.0 %


Discrete tax benefit (expense)


1.4 %


(53.5) %


0.9 %


(23.9) %


Net impact of other reconciling items


0.5 %


0.6 %


0.7 %


0.9 %


Adjusted effective tax rate


19.8 %


19.0 %


19.3 %


18.0 %












Cash provided by operating activities (GAAP)


$    106,415


$     87,485


$    220,661


$    170,612












Capital expenditures


(2,639)


(1,452)


(6,928)


(6,147)


Free cash flow


$    103,776


$     86,033


$    213,733


$    164,465


Description of adjustments:

In addition to reporting financial results in accordance with U.S. GAAP, the Company also provides various non-GAAP measures that incorporate adjustments for the impacts of special items. Adjustments incorporated in the preparation of these non-GAAP measures for the periods presented include the items described below:

Depreciation:

Acquisition and integration costs:

Amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets:

Reorganization charges:

Loss on sale of business:

Losses on sale of investments to fund acquisition:

Discrete tax (benefit) expense and tax impact of reconciling items:

About Cognex Corporation

For over 40 years, Cognex has been making advanced machine vision easy, paving the way for manufacturing and distribution companies to become faster, smarter, and more efficient through automation. Innovative technology in our vision sensors and systems solves critical manufacturing and distribution challenges, providing unparalleled performance across a diverse set of end markets, including logistics, consumer electronics, automotive, packaging, and semiconductor.

Cognex makes these tools more capable and easier to deploy thanks to a longstanding focus on AI, helping factories and warehouses improve quality and maximize efficiency without needing highly technical expertise. We are headquartered near Boston, USA, with locations in over 30 countries and more than 30,000 customers worldwide. Learn more at cognex.com.

Investor Relations Contact:
Greer Aviv
Head of Investor Relations
Cognex Corporation
Greer.Aviv@cognex.com

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SOURCE Cognex Corporation